I know it has been said a lot, but 2020 really is…at this point, you are probably thinking, “Don’t do it! Stop now! I don’t want to hear ‘unprecedented,’ ‘coronavirus,’ ‘COVID-19,’ ‘pandemic,’ ‘new normal,’ ‘lockdown,’ ‘self-isolating,’ ‘self-quarantining,’ ‘essential services,’ ‘covidiot,’ ‘the-rona,’ ‘Blursday,’ ‘zoombooming,’ ‘WFH,’ ‘we’re all in this together,’ ‘mask-up.'” The list goes on and on. I am right there with you! I can still imagine a world where none of those words left humans’ lips. It plays out well in my imagination.

COVID IS NOT THE FIRST CRISIS, NOR WILL IT BE THE LAST.

COVID is not the first crisis, nor will it be the last. Human history is full of consequences from the fall, including natural catastrophes, disease, and human evil. In the modern age, we are acutely aware of humanity’s atrocities because of the 24/7 news cycle.  Yet, this present moment really is unprecedented for our generation. For many of us, most of life in 2020 looks dramatically different. Nothing feels comfortable. At times, I have a sense that we are not sure where we are.

God has ordained this “unprecedented time” into our lives; God has even ordained the decisions with which we don’t agree.

However, we have to face the reality that God has ordained this “unprecedented time” into our lives; God has even ordained the decisions with which we don’t agree. Let that sink in: God appoints us to live in a world where we will often disagree. As Christians, we are to be lights in this dark world and navigate this world with wisdom.

We have four children, and we desire for them to walk in this world with wisdom.  More often than not, the topic of conversation around our dinner table turns to a current event or hot topic in the world. Having three teenagers and an eager-to-keep-up nine-year-old, we feel it’s important not to shy away from these topics but to help our kids process arguments in light of God’s truth. As the conversation rolls, it’s essential to ask questions. Why do you think people are doing ___? What would be the root cause of actions such as ____? How would you respond to this person? What does it look like to love someone through this situation? How could you display the Gospel?

Our heartbeat is that our family will always see people as beautiful and broken, as creative image-bearers yet rebellious against their Creator. Creating an environment that allows for good conversation lets our children see all people as human even when we might strongly disagree with their argument.

Equally important is to decide what topics are worth discussing. With instant access to massive amounts of drivel, it can be overwhelming to decide what to read. Choose sources that give commentary yet push you back to the original story. One news-briefing that has been helpful to our family is “The Briefing” by Albert Mohler. He gives good timely content and encourages the listener to understand the story’s perspective, even if you don’t agree.

So while we may be tired of living in the “unprecedented time,” let’s redeem the time and take to heart Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus:

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”